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{{Short description|Chase between two automobiles, often involving law enforcement}}
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{{for|the Snow Patrol song|Chasing Cars}}
{{see also|Resisting arrest}}
{{Globalize|1=article|2=United States|date=May 2024}}


] vehicles pursuing a suspect fleeing in a vehicle in 2020|300x300px]]A '''car chase''' or '''vehicle pursuit''' is the vehicular overland chase of one party by another, involving at least one ] or other wheeled ], commonly ] of ]s by ]. The rise of the ] in the 20th century increased ], leading to a growing number of criminals attempting to evade police in ] or a ]. Car chases may also involve other parties in pursuit of a criminal suspect or intended victim, or simply in an attempt to make contact with a moving person for non-conflict reasons.
'''Car chase''' often describes the pursuit of a ] by ], and is increasingly captured on film from media and police ]. In ]s and ] a car chase is a scene involving one or more ]s being pursued by other vehicles. Car chases are ubiquitous to the ] genre, and some movies are almost entirely built around car chases. They are so popular because they are fast moving scenes with a great deal of excitement, but are not hugely expensive. Due to cars crashing and banging they can contain violence without any harm to individuals and thus secure lower ratings. Car chases often "star" high powered vehicles.


Car chases are often captured on news broadcast due to the video footage recorded by ]s, ], and ] participating in the chase. Car chases are also a popular subject with media and audiences due to their intensity, drama and the innate danger of high-speed driving, and thus are common content in fiction, particularly ]s and ]s.
== Real life car chases ==
] has especially many car chases that are captured on film, with news helicopters ready to film the incidents. Many are broadcast live. Some news websites have footage of car chases. In 2002, there were 700 pursuits reported in the city. There was a famous slow speed car chase of ] in 1994. Police have tactics to use in car chases such as the ], and stopping cars with ]s.


== Police involvement ==
] was killed in 1997 in ] in a high speed car chase, being followed by French photographers.
] units responding to a vehicle pursuit in 2015]]
Car chases occur when a suspect attempts to use a ] to escape from law enforcement attempting to detain or arrest them. The assumed ] committed may range from ]s such as ]s to felonies as serious as ]. When suspects realize they have been spotted by law enforcement, they attempt to lose their pursuer by driving away, usually at high speed. Generally, suspects who police spot committing crimes for which long prison terms are likely upon conviction are much more likely to start car chases.


] SUVs and one ] cruiser of the ] ending a pursuit. One of the units has disabled the suspect's car through the use of a ].]]
The ] occurred in ], Australia after a local driver crashed a stolen vehicle into a tree, killing his two passengers following a high-speed police pursuit. The death of university student ] following a police chase in ] sparked major recriminations over police pursuit policies. ] was found shot and killed in Sweden after he had been followed in a car chase by Swedish undercover police.
] (also called TVI) diagram)]]
Police use a number of techniques to end chases, from pleading with the driver, waiting for the driver's vehicle to run out of fuel, or hoping the driver's vehicle becomes somehow disabled to more forceful methods such as boxing in the vehicle with ]s, ramming the vehicle, the ], shooting out the ]s, or the use of ]s. Though all efforts, many of which pose risk to all involved as well as bystanders, will be aimed at avoiding danger to civilians. When available, ] may be deployed, which may follow the vehicle from above while ground units may or may not be involved.


=== History ===
] has combined with the car chase genre in a number of television shows and specials featuring real footage, mostly taken from ] or media helicopters of actual criminals fleeing from police.
The use of automobiles to evade law enforcement has existed for about as long as the automobile itself; newspaper reports of police chases involving automobiles and motorcycles date back to the 1900s and 1910s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-08 |title=L.A. has been enthralled by car chases for about as long as we've had cars on roads |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-11-08/l-a-has-been-enthralled-by-car-chases-for-about-as-long-as-weve-had-cars-on-roads |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=archives |first=the Post-Dispatch |date=2022-08-18 |title=1906: Skidoodling along during the first high-speed police chase in Forest Park |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/archives/1906-skidoodling-along-during-the-first-high-speed-police-chase-in-forest-park/article_22d07e2e-e0fc-11ea-b13d-ff337a1531d2.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=STLtoday.com |language=en}}</ref> During ], bootleggers and ] runners often engaged in high-speed chases with police. This led to rise of car modifications intended to outrun the law and auto-racing exhibitions between runners which helped form the sport of ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iowa's Prohibition Years, 1920-1933 {{!}} Iowa PBS |url=http://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/mypath/2586/iowas-prohibition-years-1920-1933 |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=www.iowapbs.org |language=en}}</ref>


As police forces became more accustomed to chases, they began to adopt police protocol, techniques, and technologies intended to help pursuits more quickly and safely, such as the ] in the 1980s and ]s in the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McMahon |first=Gregory R. |date=September 1, 2012 |title=Bulletin Alert Deployment of Spike Strips |url=https://leb.fbi.gov/bulletin-highlights/additional-highlights/bulletin-alert-deployment-of-spike-strips |access-date=2024-05-09 |website=leb.fbi.gov |publisher=FBI LAW ENFORCEMENT BULLETIN}}</ref>
== In film ==
Although car chases on film were staged as early as the motor vehicle itself, the first modern car chase is generally seen as that in ]'s '']''. The chase in this film was far longer and far faster than what had gone before, and placed cameras so that the audience felt as though they were inside the car. Even during the most calamitous scenes, the star - ] - could be clearly seen at the wheel of the vehicle. '']'' further increased the realism. While previous chases had been filmed on closed roads and isolated highways, ''The French Connection'' placed the chase in the midst of busy traffic and pedestrians. Further after this was The Seven-Ups, which featured Bill Hickman as one of the drivers who previously featured in Bullitt, which contained a frantic chase again through New York, and was regarded as having many qualities similar to that of Bullitt.


Since the 2010s, as the dangers of car chases become apparent, police have tested various alternative methods of tracking fleeing suspects without continuing to pursue them such as ]'s ] ]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-11 |title=A dart-like device may help Minnesota police prevent dangerous car chases |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minnesota-police-starchase-dart-device-car-chases/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=CBS News |language=en-US}}</ref> or the Grappler ] with a tire-catching net.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-20 |title=Grappler: What you need to know about a technology being used to end police pursuits |url=https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/grappler-what-you-need-to-know-about-a-technology-that-is-being-used-to-stop-police-pursuits |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=FOX 10 Phoenix |language=en-US}}</ref> Alternatively, some strategies have centered around simply not pursuing suspect vehicles and instead relying on using ] to identify the suspect and apprehend them later, though this is ineffective with stolen vehicles.
]


=== Media coverage ===
As time went on, so did the expectations of the movie car chase. Since Bullitt, car chases featured in movies have continually become more advanced and therefore more entertaining. ] have also formed an increasingly important role, with the destruction of any vehicle often coming as a delight to the viewer. An early example of a staged but startling accident in a movie chase can be found in the 1974 movie ], which featured an incredible rollover, the first cannon rollover in fact, across a beach. The spectacle came at a cost for the stuntdriver Hal Needham however, who sustained multiple injuries after setting the explosives too high.
The earliest police chase known to be recorded on video in its entirety occurred in May 1988 in ], when a police officer with a ] mounted in his cruiser recorded the pursuit of a fleeing suspect vehicle, from the initial attempts to stop his car to his eventual arrest.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.military.com/video/law-enforcement/police/first-ever-recorded-police-chase/1918271434001| title=First Ever Recorded Police Chase| date=22 October 2012}}</ref>


On January 3, 1992, a lengthy pursuit in ], involving a ] stolen by a suspected murderer, Darren Michael Stroh,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Malnic |first=Eric |last2=Dizon |first2=Lily |date=1992-01-04 |title=Murder Suspect Slain After 300-Mile Pursuit |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-01-04-mn-1258-story.html |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> who was eventually killed by ] officers in a ], became the first police chase to be broadcast live on television, airing on three channels and preempting daytime programs on the station.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Malnic |first1=Eric |last2=Lait |first2=Matt |date=1992-01-04 |title=Gunman Is Shot, Killed After Chase : Crime: The murder suspect driving a stolen car leads police on a 300-mile pursuit that ends in Westminster. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-01-04-mn-1295-story.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> The chase was reportedly so popular that, when one station switched to a ] of ], several viewers called in to complain and request they continue airing the chase. This convinced stations to show further live coverage of police pursuits.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Needham |first1=John |last2=Dubin |first2=Zan |date=1992-01-04 |title=Real-Life Drama Preempts Afternoon TV Shows : Media: Viewers are riveted as L.A. stations bump soap operas and reruns to broadcast the pursuit live. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-01-04-mn-1296-story.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Weinstein |first=Steve |date=1992-03-10 |title=TV Car Chases--Pursuing News or Higher Ratings? : Television: Live coverage of pursuits is the latest trend in local news, but some critics say the coverage is not always newsworthy. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-03-10-ca-3524-story.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
]


In 2002, 700 pursuits were reported in the city of ].<ref>{{cite news |date=2003-02-28 |title=Los Angeles urges media to curb coverage of police chases |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/27/1046064169270.html?oneclick=true |work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> In 2003, Los Angeles television station ] reported a quadrupling of ratings when police pursuits aired.<ref>{{citation |mode=cs1 |last=Kine |first=Starlee |url=http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/248/transcript |section=If It Drives, Go Live |type=Transcript |title=Like It or Not |publisher=This American Life |date=24 October 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508125649/http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/248/transcript |archive-date=2012-05-08}}</ref> That same year, the ] asked news media to reduce coverage of chases, claiming that coverage encourages suspects to flee and may potentially endanger viewers who attempt to view the chase in person.<ref>{{cite news|title=Top Cops Pan TV Car Chase Coverage|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-27-me-pursuit27-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=February 27, 2003|first1=Jill|last1=Leovy|first2=Greg|last2=Braxton}}</ref>
Perhaps the most typical car chase is one in which a car is being pursued by ]s. In part because car chases are so common many movie makers try to introduce a new twists to them. One of the most famous variations is from ''The French Connection'' and involves a car chasing an elevated train. Chases involving ]es, ]s, ]s, ]s, and virtually every other type of vehicle (with or without wheels) have appeared in one film or another.


] has combined with the car chase genre in a number of television shows and specials such as '']'', '']'', and '']'' which often feature real footage of car chases involving suspects fleeing police.<ref name="LA" /> In addition, videos and livestreams of car chases are popular content on social media.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-25 |title=Column: What I learned from watching a 24-hour police pursuit channel |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-25/car-chase-channel-pluto-tv |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
Probably the most complex type of car chase involves going the wrong way in moderately congested ] traffic (e.g. ''], ]''). There are also a number of films that feature complex large-scale chases involving a lot of vehicles in the pursuit, notable examples including ], ] and ]


On June 17, 1994 former ] running back ] gained notoriety following national coverage of a low speed chase in his white 1993 ] after the murder of his ex-wife ] and ] in ].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-06-17/28-years-later-the-o-j-simpson-police-chase#:~:text=On%20June%2017%2C%201994%2C%20two,at%2011%20a.m.%20that%20day | title=28 years ago today: The O.J. Simpson police chase that captivated L.A. And the nation | website=] | date=17 June 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/whatever-happened-to-the-infamous-1993-oj-simpson-ford-bronco-145986.html | title=Whatever Happened to the Infamous 1993 O.J. Simpson Ford Bronco? | date=13 July 2020 }}</ref>
Another method of escalating a car chase scene is to have a ] move from one ] to another and to fight in or on top of a moving vehicle.


One notable recorded police chase occurred when an ] ] was stolen by ] from an ] ], on May 17, 1995. Nelson went on a rampage through ], ], with the massive tank crushing multiple civilian vehicles before becoming stuck on a road divider. Police were able to mount the tank and open the hatch, killing the suspect when he would not surrender.
Several television shows have been built around the popularity of car chases, such as the '']'', '']'' & '']''.


On June 4, 2004, ] ] went on a rampage in a heavily modified ] in ], wrecking 13 buildings including the town hall, the public library, a bank, a concrete batch plant, and a house owned by the town's former mayor, resulting in over $7&nbsp;million in damage. The police were initially powerless, as none of their weapons could penetrate the suspect's vehicle. However, the bulldozer's engine failed and the machine became stuck, so Heemeyer committed suicide by gunshot.
In more modern times, the use of ] is becoming increasingly popular, and, although costly, eliminates any ] level. While impressive at times, it is often argued that it eliminates the ] of the chase scene, which can then in turn damage the established thrill factor. Recent examples of this ] can be found in the ] films '']'' and '']''. An example of a lower budget film using ] in a car chase is ].


On July 27, 2007 in ], ] while filming a police pursuit. Both were ] news helicopters from the ] and ] news stations.<ref>{{cite news|title=4 Dead As 2 Helicopters Tracking Police Pursuit Collide |date=2007-07-27 |url=http://www.kpho.com/news/13770683/detail.html |work=KPHO-TV |access-date=2007-07-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927030213/http://www.kpho.com/news/13770683/detail.html |archive-date=2007-09-27 }}</ref><ref name="ntsb"> Midair Collision of Electronic News Gathering Helicopters KTVK-TV, Eurocopter AS350B2, N613TV, and U.S. Helicopters, Inc., Eurocopter AS350B2, N215TV Aircraft ]. Accessed 2009-03-09. 2009-05-18.</ref> All four occupants of both aircraft were killed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Two helicopters crash while covering chase |date=2007-07-27 |url=http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/stories/KTVKLNews20070727_helicopter-crash.b85476c7.html |work=AZFamily.com |access-date=2007-07-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928002344/http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/stories/KTVKLNews20070727_helicopter-crash.b85476c7.html |archive-date=2007-09-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref> No one on the ground was injured.<ref name="Billeaud">{{cite web|last=Billeaud|first=Jacques|title=2 news helicopters collide, crash in Phoenix park; 4 die|url=http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/193821|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926225944/http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/193821|archive-date=September 26, 2007|access-date=2007-07-28|agency=]|work=]}}</ref>
==Notable car chase films==
* There are several in the '']''
*'']'' (1963)
*'']'' (1966)
*'']'' (1968)
*'']'' (1969)
*'']'' (1971)
*'']'' (1971)
*'']'' (1971)
*'']'' (1971)
*'']'' (1971)
*'']'' (1972)
*'']'' (1972)
*'']'' (1973)
*'']'' (1974)
*'']'' (1974)
*'']'' (1974)
*'']'' (1974)
*'']'' (1976)
*'']'' (1977)
*'']'' (1978)
*'']'' (1979)
*'']'' (1980)
*'']'' (1980)
*'']'' (1980)
*'']'' (1981)
*'']'' (1983)
*'']'' (1985)
*'']'' (1985)
*'']'' (1985)
*'']'' (1989)
*'']'' (1989)
*'']'' (1990)
*''] (1991)
*'']'' (1992)
*'']'' (1993)
*'']'' (1993)
*'']'' (1994)
*'']'' (1995)
*'']'' (1995)
*'']'' (1996)
*'']'' (1996)
*'']'' (1997)
*'']'' (1998)
*'']'' (1998)
*'']'' (1998)
*'']'' (1998)
*'']'' (2000 - Remake)
*'']'' (2001)
*'']'' series (2001)
*'']'' (2002)
*'']'' (2002)
*'']'' (2003)
*'']'' (2003)
*''] (2003)
*'']'' (2003 - Remake)
*'']'' (2003)
*'']'' (2004)
*'']'' (2004)
*'']'' (2005)
*'']'' (2005)
*'']'' (2005)
*'']'' (2006)


On September 28, 2012, ] aired a live police chase in Arizona which ended in the suspect exiting the vehicle and shooting himself after a short foot chase. Fox News was airing it in a five-second delay instead of a normal ten-second delay, which resulted in the shooting being aired on a live broadcast of the '']''.<ref name="BBCnews">{{cite web |last1=Morgan |first1=James |title=Why America loves a police car chase |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31387485 |website=] |publisher=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214152036/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31387485 |archive-date=February 14, 2015 |date=February 14, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> Fox ] ] soon apologized for the broadcast and vowed to never let it happen again.<ref>
==Computer and video games==
{{cite news
Certain ] ] with police cars have car chase (pursuit) racing/evasion modes. Notable examples of such games include the following:
| url = https://www.foxnews.com/us/carjacker-kills-himself-after-high-speed-chase-in-arizona
| access-date = 2012-10-03
| date = September 28, 2012
|title=Foxnews.com Article: Carjacker kills himself after highspeed chase in Arizona
| publisher = ]
}}
</ref>


Live news coverage of police chases is widely associated with the United States and with the city of Los Angeles in particular, which is often described by journalists as "the car chase capital of the world."<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2017-11-28 |title=The High-Speed Car Chases of Los Angeles |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-high-speed-car-chases-of-los-angeles |access-date=2024-02-11 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-02-14 |title=Why America loves a police car chase |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31387485 |access-date=2024-02-11 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-12-15 |title=In a city of freeways and showbiz, live-broadcast cop chases are 'great spectacle' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/in-a-city-of-freeways-and-showbiz-live-broadcast-cop-chases-are-great-spectacle/2021/12/14/44b38882-5a0a-11ec-9a18-a506cf3aa31d_story.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=McPhate |first=Mike |date=2017-04-13 |title=California Today: The Allure of the Los Angeles Car Chase |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/13/us/california-today-the-allure-of-the-los-angeles-car-chase.html |access-date=2024-02-11 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2012-09-20 |title=Anatomy of an L.A. Police Pursuit |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-09-20/anatomy-of-an-l-a-police-pursuit |access-date=2024-02-11 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}</ref>
*Certain installments of the ], most notably '']'' (1998) and '']'' (2005).

*The ] (1997 to present).
===Risks and legal considerations===
*The '']'' series (1999 to present) is described as a direct tribute to car chases, and all but the most ] have featured a "Film Director" mode which allows players to take any driving they have just done and create their own car chases by setting up cameras and the like in a ] style movie suite.
], ] in 2019]]
*] is a video game based on the popular classic TV series, and the majority of the game revolves around a car chase of some sort through the various missions on offer.
High-speed car chases are recognized as a ] problem, as vehicles not involved in the pursuit, ]s or ] may be hit by the elusive driver, who will often violate a number of traffic laws, often repeatedly, in their attempt to escape, or by the pursuing police cars. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that 40 people a year are killed in road traffic incidents involving police, most as a result of a police pursuit.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/news/pr180907_rti.htm |title=IPCC publishes major study on police road traffic incidents |website=Independent Police Complaints Commission |date=18 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124022341/http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/news/pr180907_rti.htm |archive-date=2009-01-24 |url-status=unfit}}</ref> In the United States, chase-related deaths range between 300 and 400 people per year.<ref name="npr">{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2015/07/23/425598535/even-if-a-car-chase-will-help-police-nab-a-suspect-some-don-t |title=In Hot Pursuit Of Public Safety, Police Consider Fewer Car Chases|author=Bridgit Bowden |date=July 23, 2015 |work=All Things Considered |publisher=NPR |type=Transcript}}</ref>

The February ] occurred in ] after a local driver crashed a stolen vehicle into a tree, killing his two passengers following a high-speed police pursuit. The death of university student Clea Rose following a police chase in Canberra sparked major recriminations over police pursuit policies.

In 2007, the ] held in '']'' (550 U.S. 372) that a "police officer's attempt to terminate a dangerous high-speed car chase that threatens the lives of innocent bystanders does not violate the ], even when it places the fleeing motorist at risk of serious injury or death."

In most ] jurisdictions, the ] prevents police officers injured in such pursuits from filing civil lawsuits for monetary damages against the fleeing suspects, because such injuries are supposed to be an inherent risk of the job. Public outrage at such immunity has resulted in statutory exceptions. One example is ] Section 1714.9 (enacted 1982), which reinstates liability where the suspect knew or should have known that the police were present.

Policy on what circumstances justify a high-speed pursuit differ by jurisdiction. Some safety advocates want to restrict risky chases to violent felonies.<ref name="npr" /> Another option is to use technology to end or avoid the need for such chases. For example, vehicles can be tracked by aircraft or GPS tagging devices like ], allowing police agencies to reliably intercept suspects using stationary blockades, lower-speed vehicles, or when the vehicle is parked.

A 2023 ] report recommends that police should only initiate a chase only if a violent crime has been committed and the suspect poses an imminent threat to commit another violent crime due to the dangers posed by high speed pursuits. The report also recommends policies that discourage or prohibit pursuits if the suspect is riding a motorcycle.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-22 |title=New federal report urges police to limit unnecessary pursuits |url=https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/federal-report-urges-police-limit-car-chase-pursuit-seeking-solutions/275-7e9a07d6-8fc3-43f4-9784-f0466d16b72d |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=wcnc.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Inter-jurisdictional pursuits and policy issues===
One particular hazard that is attendant to police pursuits is the problem of multiple law enforcement agencies becoming involved in a car chase that crosses municipal and jurisdictional boundaries. This is often complicated by radio communication incompatibility and policy differences in the various departments involved in a pursuit.

The city of ] was the first major city in the United States to adopt an "Inter-Jurisdictional Pursuit Policy" to address the problems inherent in car chases that involved more than one law enforcement agency. In August 1984, the Dallas Police Department's Planning and Research Division, under the command of Captain Rick Stone, began crafting a policy that more than twenty (20) local law enforcement agencies could agree to abide by when car chases crossed their borders. The result was a model policy that became the standard for use by police departments around the United States.<ref>"Dallas-area police departments establish policy on pursuits", Dallas Morning News, September 8, 1985.</ref>

In Europe, as many national borders ] within the ], car chases may sometimes cross national boundaries. States often have agreements in place where the police of one state can continue the chase across the national boundary.{{citation needed|date=March 2012}}

== Non-police car chases ==

Some car chases may occur between vehicles that are not involved in law enforcement. These may be conducted by rival criminals, criminals attempting to catch intended victims, ], or as part of ]. They may also occur for non-criminal reasons, such as the pursuing vehicle simply attempting to catch up to another vehicle. These car chases are rare and are almost always considered illegal due to the dangers of civilian vehicles, lacking any sort of warning device or authorization, pursuing each other at high speeds.

In 2021, actor ] was pursued and shot at by a vehicle in an attempted robbery.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Keenan |title=Terrence J Victim Of Attempted Robbery Involving Car Chase & Shots Fired |url=https://g93wmpz.com/2021/11/10/terrence-j-victim-of-attempted-robbery-involving-car-chase-shots-fired/ |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=G93 - WMPZ FM |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Preezy |date=2021-11-11 |title=Terrence J Shot At During Attempted Robbery |url=https://www.vibe.com/news/national/terrence-j-shot-at-attempted-robbery-1234636599/ |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=VIBE.com |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2021, a carjacking victim in ] pursued a car thief, resulting in an eight-vehicle collision in which the stolen vehicle was destroyed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Carjacking victim chases suspects, causing fiery 8-vehicle wreck on Northwest Side, cops say |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-carjacking-fiery-crash-west-side-20211023-5bmfguks3zfyrdso5uy7ekqjke-story.html |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=Chicago Tribune|date=23 October 2021 }}</ref>

== In film and television ==
In ] and ], the term "car chase" refers to a chase scene involving two or more automobiles pursuing one another, which may or may not involve a police car. Feature-length films have been built entirely around car chases, often featuring high-powered ].<ref name=LA /> They are depicted as fast moving scenes with action involving the speed of the vehicles involved, and the potential collisions and the debris resulting from the wreckage.<ref name=LA />

] car chase sequences often requires numerous takes and destruction of several vehicles (whether intentional or mishap). Therefore, it is common to use older vehicles that are 1–2 generations behind the current models on the market, since these can be second-hand acquisitions at low cost due to ]. Often for rare models such as the ] in '']'', the more common ] were acquired and modified to look like the GT-R (R34), while in another case a dune buggy was fitted with a GT-R (R34) shell.<ref>https://www.topspeed.com/the-story-behind-paul-walkers-r34-nissan-skyline-gt-r/</ref><ref>https://www.hotcars.com/paul-walker-nissan-r34-skyline-gt-r-fast-and-furious/</ref>

There are some exceptions wherein a high-profile vehicle is used, such as the '']'' and ] franchises, usually because the vehicles used are "star cars" (i.e. used by the film's protagonists and featured prominently).<ref>{{cite web |author=Audi of America |date=14 November 2012 |title=Though Bond Still Drives an Aston, 'SkyFall' Includes Audi Cameos |url=http://fourtitude.com/news/Audi_News_1/though-bond-still-drives-an-aston-skyfall-includes-audi-a5/ |website=Fourtitude |access-date=9 October 2017 |archive-date=9 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009194739/http://fourtitude.com/news/Audi_News_1/though-bond-still-drives-an-aston-skyfall-includes-audi-a5/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Vehicle manufacturers may also pay for ] in a film production, such as serving as technical advisors and/or donating the vehicles to be used in filming.

=== History ===
Although car chases on film were staged as early as the motor vehicle itself — one of the earliest examples being '']'' directed by ] in 1903<ref>{{IMDb name|id=nm0172118|name=Alf Collins}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://boingboing.net/2018/01/11/watch-the-first-car-chase-scen.html|title=Watch the first car chase scene in a movie|author=David Pescovitz|date=2018-01-11|publisher=Boing Boing}}</ref> — the consensus among historians and film critics is that the first modern car chase movie was 1968's '']''.<ref>John Alfred Heitmann, ''The Automobile And American Life'' (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2009), 182–183.</ref><ref>Jesse Crosse, ''The Greatest Movie Car Chases of All Time'' (St. Paul: MBI Publishing, 2006), 16.</ref><ref>], ''Media Unlimited: How The Torrent of Images and Sounds Overwhelms Our Lives'' (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2002), 90.</ref><ref>William Krause, ''Hollywood TV and Movie Cars'' (St. Paul: MBI Publishing, 2001), 39.</ref> The 10-minute-long chase scene in ''Bullitt'' was far longer and far faster than what had gone before, and placed cameras to give perspectives from inside the cars. Previously, car chase scenes were often staged using the ].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WTbkAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA69|title=B Is for Bad Cinema: Aesthetics, Politics, and Cultural Value|author=edited by Claire Perkins & Constantine Verevis|year=2014|publisher=SUNY Press|page=69|isbn=9781438449975}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lTJnDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA84|title=Hollywood in San Francisco: Location Shooting and the Aesthetics of Urban Decline|author=Joshua Gleich|year=2018|publisher=University of Texas Press|page=84|isbn=9781477317556}}</ref>

===Computer-generated imagery===
The use of ] for car chases has become popular since the 2000s and, although costly, eliminates any danger to the actors and removes the necessity of damaging or destroying functional vehicles, particularly those that are rare, expensive, valuable, or not allowed to be damaged in production (such as if the car is product placement).

However, some critics claim that CGI eliminates the ] of chase scenes or, when done poorly or too obviously, can be visually jarring and ]. Such criticism has affected recent Hollywood productions; '']'', for example, was panned for its heavy use of CGI in chase scenes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Driven (2001) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1107198-driven/ |access-date=17 February 2016 |work=] |date=27 April 2001 |publisher=]}}</ref> As such, some films like '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'', used live-action chases with minimal use of CGI, if at all. '']'' used CGI for "only 10%" of its action sequences, mostly to erase production artifacts such as wires or add backgrounds, as stunt coordinator Spiro Razatos wanted to rely more on real stunts rather than CGI because he wanted the whole sequence to "feel real" and fulfill audience's expectations so only 10 percent of the action sequences in the film were computer-generated, and even then, much of the CGI was employed simply to erase the wires and other contraptions that were used to film real cars and drivers or to add a background.<ref name="BI">{{cite web |last=Guerrasio |first=Jason |date=April 3, 2015 |title=How 'Furious 7' dropped real cars from planes in its most ridiculous stunt yet |url=http://www.businessinsider.in/How-Furious-7-dropped-real-cars-from-planes-in-its-most-ridiculous-stunt-yet/articleshow/46790017.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403163933/http://www.businessinsider.in/How-Furious-7-dropped-real-cars-from-planes-in-its-most-ridiculous-stunt-yet/articleshow/46790017.cms |archive-date=April 3, 2015 |access-date=April 3, 2015 |website=]}}</ref><ref name="OCR">{{cite news |last=Carpenter |first=Susan |title=Reel deal steel |newspaper=] |url=http://m.ocregister.com/articles/car-656462-cars-furious.html |access-date=April 10, 2015}}{{Dead link|date=December 2019|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

=== Notable examples ===
* The '']'' franchise of films and television series features numerous car chases between various parties, including but not limited to police and criminal organizations.
* '']'' (1974) features a 40-minute car chase scene with multiple crashes (some of them unplanned, real accidents) and a 30-foot-high, 128-feet-long airborne jump over crashed cars that block a road.
* Films such as ], '']'', ]'s comedies, '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'' feature car chases that are used for comedic purposes.
* '']'' and '']''<ref name="LA" /> include scenes of cars going the wrong way at high speed against moderately congested ] ].
* '']'' depicts a car chase with characters moving from one vehicle to another and fighting atop moving vehicles.
* A number of television series have been built around the popularity of car chases, such as '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''. Some ] series, especially those following law enforcement, have also depicted car chases over the course of following police activities, such as '']'', '']'', and '']''.

== In video games ==
Many ]s, often within the ] and ] genres, tend to contain, if not focus on, car chases of some sort, usually involving police. Many of these chases are often heavily stylized, with police often ramming or even shooting suspect vehicles, or deploying dedicated "pursuit units" in ]s.

=== Notable examples ===
*Early examples included ]'s '']'' (1983), featuring a ]-style weaponized vehicle;<ref>{{cite magazine|title =Revival of the Fittest |date =April 1998 |url =https://archive.org/details/edgeuk057/page/n63/mode/2up |magazine =] |publisher =]|issue = 57|page =73|issn=1350-1593}}</ref> and ]' '']'' (1987), where the player controlled a police car.
*'']'' (1988) and its sequels have the player assume the role of a police officer who must stop fleeing criminals in high-speed pursuits.<ref>{{cite magazine|title =Arcade Action |date =November 1988 |url =https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-085/page/n139/mode/2up |magazine =] |publisher =]|issue =85 |page =140|issn=0261-3697}}</ref>
*The '']'' series is notable for its depiction of police pursuits, usually involving high-performance cars driven by both criminals and police.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harrison |first1=Dre |title='Hot Pursuit Remastered' Goes Back to the Purest Essence of Need for Speed |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/akdg9b/need-for-speed-hot-pursuit-remastered-review |website=] |publisher=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113034403/https://www.vice.com/en/article/akdg9b/need-for-speed-hot-pursuit-remastered-review |archive-date=November 13, 2020 |date=November 12, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=LA>{{cite magazine|title =If It Speeds, It Leads |date =February 2003 |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=yV0EAAAAMBAJ&q=need+for+speed+car+chase&pg=PA51 |magazine =] |publisher =Hour Media Group |last =Melton |first =Mary|pages =50–53, 152–153|issn=1522-9149}}</ref>
*The '']'' series is especially famous for its depiction of car chases in both missions and its open world, with reckless pursuits by both criminals and police being possible in every game in the series.<ref name=LA /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Bland |first1=Archie |title=The power of Grand Theft Auto - the greatest gaming franchise ever |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/gaming/power-grand-theft-auto-greatest-gaming-franchise-ever-8810320.html |website=] |publisher=Independent Digital News & Media Ltd |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326193955/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/gaming/power-grand-theft-auto-greatest-gaming-franchise-ever-8810320.html |archive-date=March 26, 2021 |date=September 16, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Stuart |first1=Keith |title=Five reasons why Grand Theft Auto V has sold 45m copies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/04/five-reasons-why-grand-theft-auto-v-has-sold-45m-copies |website=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418231835/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/04/five-reasons-why-grand-theft-auto-v-has-sold-45m-copies |archive-date=April 18, 2015 |date=February 4, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
*'']'' (2011) features police pursuits in several of its cases and missions, though unlike ''Grand Theft Auto'', the player takes the role of the police.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Yin-Poole |first1=Wesley |title=L.A. Forensic: Brendan McNamara on L.A. Noire |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-11-15-l-a-forensic-brendan-mcnamara-on-l-a-noire-interview |website=] |publisher=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118004047/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-11-15-l-a-forensic-brendan-mcnamara-on-l-a-noire-interview |archive-date=November 18, 2011 |date=November 15, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Laughlin |first1=Andrew |title=Hands On: 'L.A. Noire' |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/previews/a312543/hands-on-la-noire/ |website=] |publisher=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326194642/https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/previews/a312543/hands-on-la-noire/ |archive-date=March 26, 2021 |date=April 4, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>


== See also == == See also ==
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==References==
== External links ==
{{Reflist}}
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==External links==
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Latest revision as of 21:44, 15 December 2024

Chase between two automobiles, often involving law enforcement For the Snow Patrol song, see Chasing Cars. See also: Resisting arrest
Globe icon.The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (May 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Swedish Police Authority vehicles pursuing a suspect fleeing in a vehicle in 2020

A car chase or vehicle pursuit is the vehicular overland chase of one party by another, involving at least one automobile or other wheeled motor vehicle, commonly hot pursuit of suspects by law enforcement. The rise of the automotive industry in the 20th century increased car ownership, leading to a growing number of criminals attempting to evade police in their own vehicle or a stolen car. Car chases may also involve other parties in pursuit of a criminal suspect or intended victim, or simply in an attempt to make contact with a moving person for non-conflict reasons.

Car chases are often captured on news broadcast due to the video footage recorded by police cars, police aircraft, and news aircraft participating in the chase. Car chases are also a popular subject with media and audiences due to their intensity, drama and the innate danger of high-speed driving, and thus are common content in fiction, particularly action films and video games.

Police involvement

Seattle Police Department units responding to a vehicle pursuit in 2015

Car chases occur when a suspect attempts to use a vehicle to escape from law enforcement attempting to detain or arrest them. The assumed offence committed may range from misdemeanors such as traffic infractions to felonies as serious as murder. When suspects realize they have been spotted by law enforcement, they attempt to lose their pursuer by driving away, usually at high speed. Generally, suspects who police spot committing crimes for which long prison terms are likely upon conviction are much more likely to start car chases.

Two Ford Police Interceptor Utility SUVs and one Dodge Charger cruiser of the California Highway Patrol ending a pursuit. One of the units has disabled the suspect's car through the use of a PIT maneuver.
PIT maneuver (also called TVI) diagram)

Police use a number of techniques to end chases, from pleading with the driver, waiting for the driver's vehicle to run out of fuel, or hoping the driver's vehicle becomes somehow disabled to more forceful methods such as boxing in the vehicle with police cruisers, ramming the vehicle, the PIT maneuver, shooting out the tires, or the use of spike strips. Though all efforts, many of which pose risk to all involved as well as bystanders, will be aimed at avoiding danger to civilians. When available, police aircraft may be deployed, which may follow the vehicle from above while ground units may or may not be involved.

History

The use of automobiles to evade law enforcement has existed for about as long as the automobile itself; newspaper reports of police chases involving automobiles and motorcycles date back to the 1900s and 1910s. During Prohibition in the United States, bootleggers and moonshine runners often engaged in high-speed chases with police. This led to rise of car modifications intended to outrun the law and auto-racing exhibitions between runners which helped form the sport of stock car racing.

As police forces became more accustomed to chases, they began to adopt police protocol, techniques, and technologies intended to help pursuits more quickly and safely, such as the PIT maneuver in the 1980s and spike strips in the 1990s.

Since the 2010s, as the dangers of car chases become apparent, police have tested various alternative methods of tracking fleeing suspects without continuing to pursue them such as StarChase's GPS trackers or the Grappler bullbar with a tire-catching net. Alternatively, some strategies have centered around simply not pursuing suspect vehicles and instead relying on using vehicle registration to identify the suspect and apprehend them later, though this is ineffective with stolen vehicles.

Media coverage

The earliest police chase known to be recorded on video in its entirety occurred in May 1988 in Berea, Ohio, when a police officer with a video camera mounted in his cruiser recorded the pursuit of a fleeing suspect vehicle, from the initial attempts to stop his car to his eventual arrest.

On January 3, 1992, a lengthy pursuit in Southern California, involving a Volkswagen Cabriolet stolen by a suspected murderer, Darren Michael Stroh, who was eventually killed by California Highway Patrol officers in a shootout, became the first police chase to be broadcast live on television, airing on three channels and preempting daytime programs on the station. The chase was reportedly so popular that, when one station switched to a rerun of Matlock, several viewers called in to complain and request they continue airing the chase. This convinced stations to show further live coverage of police pursuits.

In 2002, 700 pursuits were reported in the city of Los Angeles. In 2003, Los Angeles television station KCAL reported a quadrupling of ratings when police pursuits aired. That same year, the Los Angeles Police Department asked news media to reduce coverage of chases, claiming that coverage encourages suspects to flee and may potentially endanger viewers who attempt to view the chase in person.

Reality television has combined with the car chase genre in a number of television shows and specials such as World's Wildest Police Videos, Most Shocking, and Real TV which often feature real footage of car chases involving suspects fleeing police. In addition, videos and livestreams of car chases are popular content on social media.

On June 17, 1994 former NFL running back O. J. Simpson gained notoriety following national coverage of a low speed chase in his white 1993 Ford Bronco after the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in Los Angeles.

One notable recorded police chase occurred when an M60 Patton tank was stolen by Shawn Nelson from an Army National Guard armory, on May 17, 1995. Nelson went on a rampage through San Diego, California, with the massive tank crushing multiple civilian vehicles before becoming stuck on a road divider. Police were able to mount the tank and open the hatch, killing the suspect when he would not surrender.

On June 4, 2004, welder Marvin Heemeyer went on a rampage in a heavily modified bulldozer in Granby, Colorado, wrecking 13 buildings including the town hall, the public library, a bank, a concrete batch plant, and a house owned by the town's former mayor, resulting in over $7 million in damage. The police were initially powerless, as none of their weapons could penetrate the suspect's vehicle. However, the bulldozer's engine failed and the machine became stuck, so Heemeyer committed suicide by gunshot.

On July 27, 2007 in Phoenix, Arizona, two helicopters collided in mid air while filming a police pursuit. Both were AS-350 AStar news helicopters from the KNXV-TV and KTVK news stations. All four occupants of both aircraft were killed. No one on the ground was injured.

On September 28, 2012, Fox News aired a live police chase in Arizona which ended in the suspect exiting the vehicle and shooting himself after a short foot chase. Fox News was airing it in a five-second delay instead of a normal ten-second delay, which resulted in the shooting being aired on a live broadcast of the Fox Report. Fox anchorman Shepard Smith soon apologized for the broadcast and vowed to never let it happen again.

Live news coverage of police chases is widely associated with the United States and with the city of Los Angeles in particular, which is often described by journalists as "the car chase capital of the world."

Risks and legal considerations

The aftermath of a fatal collision between a suspect and another vehicle following a pursuit in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2019

High-speed car chases are recognized as a road safety problem, as vehicles not involved in the pursuit, pedestrians or street furniture may be hit by the elusive driver, who will often violate a number of traffic laws, often repeatedly, in their attempt to escape, or by the pursuing police cars. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that 40 people a year are killed in road traffic incidents involving police, most as a result of a police pursuit. In the United States, chase-related deaths range between 300 and 400 people per year.

The February 2005 Macquarie Fields riots occurred in Sydney, Australia after a local driver crashed a stolen vehicle into a tree, killing his two passengers following a high-speed police pursuit. The death of university student Clea Rose following a police chase in Canberra sparked major recriminations over police pursuit policies.

In 2007, the United States Supreme Court held in Scott v. Harris (550 U.S. 372) that a "police officer's attempt to terminate a dangerous high-speed car chase that threatens the lives of innocent bystanders does not violate the Fourth Amendment, even when it places the fleeing motorist at risk of serious injury or death."

In most common law jurisdictions, the fireman's rule prevents police officers injured in such pursuits from filing civil lawsuits for monetary damages against the fleeing suspects, because such injuries are supposed to be an inherent risk of the job. Public outrage at such immunity has resulted in statutory exceptions. One example is California Civil Code Section 1714.9 (enacted 1982), which reinstates liability where the suspect knew or should have known that the police were present.

Policy on what circumstances justify a high-speed pursuit differ by jurisdiction. Some safety advocates want to restrict risky chases to violent felonies. Another option is to use technology to end or avoid the need for such chases. For example, vehicles can be tracked by aircraft or GPS tagging devices like StarChase, allowing police agencies to reliably intercept suspects using stationary blockades, lower-speed vehicles, or when the vehicle is parked.

A 2023 United States Department of Justice report recommends that police should only initiate a chase only if a violent crime has been committed and the suspect poses an imminent threat to commit another violent crime due to the dangers posed by high speed pursuits. The report also recommends policies that discourage or prohibit pursuits if the suspect is riding a motorcycle.

Inter-jurisdictional pursuits and policy issues

One particular hazard that is attendant to police pursuits is the problem of multiple law enforcement agencies becoming involved in a car chase that crosses municipal and jurisdictional boundaries. This is often complicated by radio communication incompatibility and policy differences in the various departments involved in a pursuit.

The city of Dallas, Texas was the first major city in the United States to adopt an "Inter-Jurisdictional Pursuit Policy" to address the problems inherent in car chases that involved more than one law enforcement agency. In August 1984, the Dallas Police Department's Planning and Research Division, under the command of Captain Rick Stone, began crafting a policy that more than twenty (20) local law enforcement agencies could agree to abide by when car chases crossed their borders. The result was a model policy that became the standard for use by police departments around the United States.

In Europe, as many national borders no longer have border stations within the Schengen Area, car chases may sometimes cross national boundaries. States often have agreements in place where the police of one state can continue the chase across the national boundary.

Non-police car chases

Some car chases may occur between vehicles that are not involved in law enforcement. These may be conducted by rival criminals, criminals attempting to catch intended victims, vigilantes, or as part of road rage. They may also occur for non-criminal reasons, such as the pursuing vehicle simply attempting to catch up to another vehicle. These car chases are rare and are almost always considered illegal due to the dangers of civilian vehicles, lacking any sort of warning device or authorization, pursuing each other at high speeds.

In 2021, actor Terrence J was pursued and shot at by a vehicle in an attempted robbery. In 2021, a carjacking victim in Chicago pursued a car thief, resulting in an eight-vehicle collision in which the stolen vehicle was destroyed.

In film and television

In film and television, the term "car chase" refers to a chase scene involving two or more automobiles pursuing one another, which may or may not involve a police car. Feature-length films have been built entirely around car chases, often featuring high-powered exotic vehicles. They are depicted as fast moving scenes with action involving the speed of the vehicles involved, and the potential collisions and the debris resulting from the wreckage.

Staging car chase sequences often requires numerous takes and destruction of several vehicles (whether intentional or mishap). Therefore, it is common to use older vehicles that are 1–2 generations behind the current models on the market, since these can be second-hand acquisitions at low cost due to depreciation. Often for rare models such as the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) in Fast & Furious (2009), the more common Nissan Skyline 25GT's (R34) were acquired and modified to look like the GT-R (R34), while in another case a dune buggy was fitted with a GT-R (R34) shell.

There are some exceptions wherein a high-profile vehicle is used, such as the James Bond and Transporter franchises, usually because the vehicles used are "star cars" (i.e. used by the film's protagonists and featured prominently). Vehicle manufacturers may also pay for product placement in a film production, such as serving as technical advisors and/or donating the vehicles to be used in filming.

History

Although car chases on film were staged as early as the motor vehicle itself — one of the earliest examples being Runaway Match directed by Alf Collins in 1903 — the consensus among historians and film critics is that the first modern car chase movie was 1968's Bullitt. The 10-minute-long chase scene in Bullitt was far longer and far faster than what had gone before, and placed cameras to give perspectives from inside the cars. Previously, car chase scenes were often staged using the rear projection effect.

Computer-generated imagery

The use of computer-generated imagery for car chases has become popular since the 2000s and, although costly, eliminates any danger to the actors and removes the necessity of damaging or destroying functional vehicles, particularly those that are rare, expensive, valuable, or not allowed to be damaged in production (such as if the car is product placement).

However, some critics claim that CGI eliminates the realism of chase scenes or, when done poorly or too obviously, can be visually jarring and uncanny. Such criticism has affected recent Hollywood productions; Driven, for example, was panned for its heavy use of CGI in chase scenes. As such, some films like Ronin, The Bourne Supremacy, The Kingdom, The Dark Knight, and Need For Speed, used live-action chases with minimal use of CGI, if at all. Furious 7 used CGI for "only 10%" of its action sequences, mostly to erase production artifacts such as wires or add backgrounds, as stunt coordinator Spiro Razatos wanted to rely more on real stunts rather than CGI because he wanted the whole sequence to "feel real" and fulfill audience's expectations so only 10 percent of the action sequences in the film were computer-generated, and even then, much of the CGI was employed simply to erase the wires and other contraptions that were used to film real cars and drivers or to add a background.

Notable examples

In video games

Many video games, often within the open world and racing genres, tend to contain, if not focus on, car chases of some sort, usually involving police. Many of these chases are often heavily stylized, with police often ramming or even shooting suspect vehicles, or deploying dedicated "pursuit units" in performance cars.

Notable examples

  • Early examples included Bally Midway's Spy Hunter (1983), featuring a James Bond-style weaponized vehicle; and Atari Games' APB (1987), where the player controlled a police car.
  • Chase H.Q. (1988) and its sequels have the player assume the role of a police officer who must stop fleeing criminals in high-speed pursuits.
  • The Need for Speed series is notable for its depiction of police pursuits, usually involving high-performance cars driven by both criminals and police.
  • The Grand Theft Auto series is especially famous for its depiction of car chases in both missions and its open world, with reckless pursuits by both criminals and police being possible in every game in the series.
  • L.A. Noire (2011) features police pursuits in several of its cases and missions, though unlike Grand Theft Auto, the player takes the role of the police.

See also

References

  1. "L.A. has been enthralled by car chases for about as long as we've had cars on roads". Los Angeles Times. 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  2. archives, the Post-Dispatch (2022-08-18). "1906: Skidoodling along during the first high-speed police chase in Forest Park". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  3. "Iowa's Prohibition Years, 1920-1933 | Iowa PBS". www.iowapbs.org. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  4. McMahon, Gregory R. (September 1, 2012). "Bulletin Alert Deployment of Spike Strips". leb.fbi.gov. FBI LAW ENFORCEMENT BULLETIN. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  5. "A dart-like device may help Minnesota police prevent dangerous car chases". CBS News. 2022-03-11. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  6. "Grappler: What you need to know about a technology being used to end police pursuits". FOX 10 Phoenix. 2022-07-20. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  7. "First Ever Recorded Police Chase". 22 October 2012.
  8. Malnic, Eric; Dizon, Lily (1992-01-04). "Murder Suspect Slain After 300-Mile Pursuit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  9. Malnic, Eric; Lait, Matt (1992-01-04). "Gunman Is Shot, Killed After Chase : Crime: The murder suspect driving a stolen car leads police on a 300-mile pursuit that ends in Westminster". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  10. Needham, John; Dubin, Zan (1992-01-04). "Real-Life Drama Preempts Afternoon TV Shows : Media: Viewers are riveted as L.A. stations bump soap operas and reruns to broadcast the pursuit live". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
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